Red P-platers in Western Australia (WA) will be banned from driving with more than one passenger from 1 December.
It follows a mother’s campaign to change the law after her son died in a car crash.
The WA Government has pledged to legislate passenger limits to keep “vulnerable novice drivers safe”. The proposal will pass Parliament and has the support of the Opposition.
Red P-platers will be allowed to travel with extra passengers in some instances, such as with immediate family, or if it’s a work requirement.
Current laws
At present, WA and the NT are the only two jurisdictions without passenger limits for provisional licence drivers (P-platers).
Red P-plates are the next licence after a supervised learner’s licence (L-plates).
Like most parts of Australia, WA drivers must be at least 17 and pass a driving test to get their red Ps.
Victoria is the only state where a driver needs to be at least 18 to get their red Ps.
WA is the only state where drivers are eligible to transition from their red to green Ps after six months.
In WA, drivers on their Red P-plates are not allowed to drive between midnight and 5am.
The same restriction applies in South Australia.
Restrictions in the ACT, NSW, and Queensland, mean red P-platers are only allowed one passenger between 11pm and 5am.
Tom’s law
In 2021, 15-year-old Tom Saffioti and 17-year-old Mark Bogoni were killed in a car crash in Perth’s south-east.
They were among five passengers in a car being driven by an 18-year-old P-plater
Tom’s mother, Samantha Saffioti, has since lobbied the WA Government to introduce passenger limits for P-platers.
Speaking with ABC Radio Perth, Saffioti called on lawmakers to “step up to the plate and actually protect our kids.”
New rules
Over the weekend, the WA Government announced it would bring in “Tom’s Law” by 1 December.
Anyone on their red Ps will only be able to drive with one passenger.
It adds to an existing rule that red P-platers are not allowed to drive between midnight and 5am.
Breaching either rule carries the same penalty: A $200 fine and two demerit points.
Exemptions will exist for driving with immediate family members, or if a passenger has been on their full licence for more than four years.
Red P-platers who need to drive more than one passenger as part of their job will need a letter from their boss.
WA Premier Roger Cook said: “Our least experienced drivers are particularly vulnerable when they get behind the wheel.”
State Opposition Leader Shane Love supported the law, saying it was a “necessary step to improve road safety”.